2016 MWBL RE-DRAFT – (WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED)

Mid-West Baseball League Commissioner’s Office – Report submitted by Chris DeMecurio – Corktown Cycle. – July 9th, 2023

The rules are simple. I selected a player to draft with each pick in the 1st round of the 2016 MWBL Draft from the players that were selected somewhere in that draft. Minor league players had to make it up by the end of the 2018 season or it would be a waste of a pick no matter how good they were. Remember, it’s impossible to know what each owner would have done with a chance to re-draft, so I did my best to mix the player’s actual MLB career with their MWBL career and remaining potential. Let’s keep in mind this was for fun. With that said, go ahead and share your thoughts, and rip on some of my re-draft picks, but more importantly feel free to call out owners for their actual picks. 

2016 was the first year I entered the MWBL. After a couple of years of Stray building it up, I thought I understood the hype of the draft. As you all know, there is nothing that can prepare you for how fast it moves. My only goal was to make sure I wasn’t on Stacy’s bad side. (She truly is the best) 2016 was by far the draft I prepared the most for. I could tell you what some of these players’ favorite video games were and what they had for breakfast on a daily basis. Spent hours sliding names up and down the draft board. My first overall pick turned out to be a bust, but at least I was able to walk away with 1 or 2 picks I can stomach today. When I took over this franchise I told Stray I’d be competing for a World Series within 5 years. It is now year 8, and I made the playoffs for the first time last season! There are many ways to skin a cat, and you absolutely can do it through the draft. Very fun, but don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy.

Now, let’s kick this thing off with something that can tick you off worse than a bad draft pick. A player drafted that didn’t get called up in time. This was still the pre – Bonus Baby era. Imagine those last 2 picks as Werewolves.

Rd 2 #52 Trent Clark (aka Trent Grisham) OF MIL – Tempe
Rd 5 #125 Austin Riley 3B ATL – Valdosta
Rd 5 #136 KeBryan Hayes 3B PIT – Tijuana
Rd 9 #228 Tristin McKenzie P CLE – Hollywood
Rd 9 #246 Dylan Cease P CHC – Hollywood

1.    Dallas Cougars – Shohei Ohtani P JAP – It only took 116 picks before somebody took a chance on the guy who hadn’t decided if and when he would come and dominate in the USA. It wasn’t until September of 2017 he said he “could” make a move to the MLB in 2018. The draft is all about taking gambles and weighing high risk/reward along with a high ceiling/floor. Fremont was the big winner in the 2016 draft no matter how the rest shakes out. Actual Pick. Lucas Giolito P WAS. (Actual Ohtani rd 5 #116 to Fremont)

2.  Coconut Creek Crushers – Alex Bregman SS HOU – Even though Bregman going 23rd overall, I had him 5th on my draft manager and I selected 4th. This was my first of many lessons regarding the MWBL draft. Bregman currently has the highest overall WAR of anybody from this draft class. He belongs to the Mobsters, where he played his entire MWBL career. But for today we give Peter the nod for nailing the selection on the 23rd pick. Maybe Cliff stays the course and keeps Snell for the redraft. A good case could be made for it. Actual Pick Blake Snell P TB (Actual Bregman Rd 1 #23 to Long Beach)

3.  Virginia Sluggers (via Sacramento)- Cody Bellinger 1B LAD – I can actually see Paul typing in his redraft pick for Bellinger and his 159 HRs he would get in exchange as he tosses a paper with Lewis Brinson in the trash. I have to admit, Brinson had me really excited as well. Actual Pick Lewis Brinson OF TEX (Actual Bellinger Rd 4 #71 to Triple Creek)

4.  Corktown Cycle – Blake Snell P TB – Maybe I set this up for myself because it was my dream that Snell would have originally fallen to 4. The lefty had a magical Cy Young season back in 2018, but also an MWBL All-Star in 2021. When healthy Snell is still a swing-and-miss puppeteer. It is possible CCC still takes Snell at 2 as the best lefty on the board. Actual Pick- Jose De Leon P LAD (Actual Snell Rd 1 #2 to Coconut Creek)

5.  Fremont Cannons – Kyle Tucker OF HOU – Tucker supports a .833 OPS, 83 home runs, and 63 stolen bases and has only really played 2 full seasons (3 including the covid season) Tucker has some of the better numbers in this draft class. 1 Gold Glove and 1 All-Star appearance, but Tucker is just getting started. He is 26 years old with a career of great hopes ahead of him. The balance of past/present is tough in this redraft as always, but I’m still looking for the best options overall. Actual Pick – Max Kepler OF MIN (Actual Tucker Rd 3 #64 to Southbend)

6.  Yonge Street Stalkers – Willson Contreras C CHC – Scott selected the 32-year-old hurler Marco Estrada here, who had a nice 2015. Ended up with another All-Star year in 2016. He may have craved those good cards, but Contreras would have provided some better years at a position that is very tough to fill down the road. Very understandable, at least Estrada wasn’t a bust, like many prospects in these drafts. This ends up being a great value going 6th. Actual Pick – Marco Estrada P TOR (Actual Contreras – rd 2 #34 to Southwest Detroit)

7.  Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas – Lucas Giolito P CHW – This was the start of the rebuild for Elrya changing over to SW Detroit, so he needed to get off on the right foot with the first pick. Francis Martes has had a timeline that looked great and he was the guy. Except he wasn’t. The top pick in our draft and lots of hype for him coming into the bigs. And for the most part, since 2019, Giolito has been consistently good. He is still 28. At least the Chihuahuas seem to be back on track today.  Actual Pick Francis Martes P HOU (Actual Giolito Rd 1 # 1 to Dallas)

8.  Southbend Lynx -Max Fried P ATL – This was easy for me. Fried checks off all the boxes I am looking for on this redraft. Past success and future promise. You can make the argument that Fried has passed Giolito, and that would work here- Originally, I had Clevinger in this slot, but like all drafts, I can never settle on somebody! Actual Pick Austin Meadows OF PIT (Actual Fried R2 2 #45 to Selkirk)

9.  Grand Haven Gators – Andrew Benintendi OF BOS – I had a run of 4 pitchers in a row but decided to break things up a little and squeeze a hitter here. Benintendi has had a solid career so far. He gets the edge on some of the similar hitters because of his ability to steal bases earlier in his career. We miss Steve in this league, but I’m pretty sure there are no Gators in Grand Haven, Michigan. Actual Pick – Anderson Espinoza P BOS- (Actual Benintendi Rd 1 #15 to Triple Creek)

10.  Mesa Solar Sox – Mike Clevinger P CLE – This was Barry’s first MWBL draft, but he did not drop a bomb. At 10 overall Barry went with Eddie Rosario, which is an extremely respectable selection. We will hear from Eddie shortly. Clevinger’s years in Cleveland were fantastic. Post-injury Clevinger may have appeared to have lost a little but is having a bounce-back season in Chicago. He is 32, but I sense some more success from him. Actual Pick – Eddie Rosario OF MIN (Actual Clevinger Rd 2 #51 to Coconut Creek)

11.  Pittsburgh Lumber Company – Joe Musgrove P HOU – Musgrove has consistent numbers for a starter. 3.22 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. High Strike out and a good overall K/BB rate. Plug and play. At 51 and 52 Coconut Creek went with back-to-back hurlers. Those pitchers were Mike Clevinger and Joe Musgrove! Cliff had 6 picks in the 1st 2 rounds. 5 of them are pitchers. To end up with Snell, Musgrove, and Clevinger is a massive success and can not go unnoticed. Actual Pick – Sean Manaea P OAK (Actual Musgrove Rd 2 #52 to Coconut Creek)

12.  Mesa Solar Sox (via Motor City) – Ian Happ OF CHC – On the surface it feels like Happ had some really bad years, but looking back he has been fairly consistent since he joined the league in 2017. He is on the younger side of players in this re-draft at 28 years old. Interesting fact, the actual selection here was Kyle Zimmer. I could get fact-checked, but I believe he is the first and only player to be drafted 3 times in the MWBL before ever playing a game in the MLB. Actual Pick – Kyle Zimmer P KC (Actual Happ Rd 1 #24 to Tijuana)

13.  Pittsburgh Lumber Company (From Columbus) – Yulieski Gurriel 2B Cuba – Believe it or not at age 38, Gurriel won’t be the oldest player in this re-draft. But this guy can hit. Won a batting title and had another season with 38 HR. Didn’t come to the States to play until he was 32, but made the best of it. Carrer BB/K 202/393. That’s over 3200 ABs. Actual Pick – Jameson Taillon P PIT (Actual Gurriel Rd 2 #34 to Fremont)

14.  New York Outlaws – Rich Hill P OAK – Of all the players I’ve ever redrafted Rich Hill was the most unique. Starting in 2015 I had to separate his entire career up to that date to make this work. After doing so this is what we have for the 43-year-old since 2015. WAR-14, ERA-3.38, and over 900 k’s. Hill was purely a value pick at the time as he had good numbers for an aging Vet. Yet, here we are taking him in the first round of a redraft, almost 9 years later. Actual Pick – Cody Anderson P CLE (Actual Hill Rd 2 #56 to Bethesda)

15.  Triple Creek Patriots – Eddie Rosario OF MIN – Rosario already had a nice card headed into this draft, so he was likely on the radar of every team. His floor hasn’t been that low and his ceiling has been pretty decent as far as his offense is concerned. 3 times in his career has he hit over 24 HRs. On Pace to do that again in 2023. Actual Pick – Andrew Benintendi OF BOS (Actual Rosario Rd 1 #10 to Mesa)

16.  Virginia Sluggers – Alex Verdugo OF LAD – This is the spot in the draft where I can pick between a handful of guys that have flaws. I picked Verdugo here because he was the youngest available, and he has specific skill sets that have been consistent. Good fielder and doesn’t strike out a lot. If the power had come like we thought it may, he would have been a top 10 redraft. This was a fun one because it happens to be the first player I’ve ever drafted that has also made the redraft. Bias plays!  Actual pick – Clint Frazier OF CLE – (Actual Verdugo Rd 3 #68 to Corktown)

17.  Selkirk Steelers – Trey Mancini 1B BAL – 4 seasons over 20 HR and a return trip back to baseball that nobody can forget. As a seller, I had been after Mancini for a couple of years when he was a prospect. George held on tight. Was a good move for him, but finally was traded before the 2023 draft to Prairie. Meanwhile, Jesse Winker who was taken here still gets everyday playing time. Had 1 really good season in Cincy before being dealt to Seattle and started to fade. Actual Pick – Jesse Winker OF CIN (Actual Mancini Rd 5 #122 to Sacramento)

18.  Jersey Nor’Easters – Jack Flaherty P STL – The run of pitchers is about to begin. Flaharty leads the pack here with the most potential. If it wasn’t for his health he’d probably be a much higher selection on the redraft. His WHIP is down the past couple of seasons, but we’re hoping he is still getting over his injuries. At 27, there should be more in the tank. Actual Pick – Domingo Santana OF MIL (Actual Flaherty Rd 1 #27 to Hollywood)

19.  Jersey Nor’Easters (Via Valdosta)- Sean Manaea P OAK – A year after taking Yasmany Tomas, Wally was probably feeling good about having back-to-back picks in round 1. We’re not sure of his prospect status, but he opted for a pair of carded players. This strategy has proven to pay off in the past, however, Chris Heston hasn’t pitched in the league since 2017. Domingo Santana is no longer in the league but did have a couple of decent seasons. The lefty Manana gets the nod here over Taillon here with extremely similar career numbers overall. Wally walking away with a couple of solid starting pitchers (lefty & righty) Actual Pick – Chris Heston P SF (Actual Manaea Rd 1 #11 to Pittsburgh)

20.  Tijuana Bottle Rockets (Via Detroit) – Jameson Taillon P PIT – Taillon had a nice trajectory to start his career. He is having a rough 2023 in Chicago, but he did have a couple of good seasons that could have given a contender a great rotation guy. He goes 20 here, but we all knew he wasn’t getting past John at 13 in the actual draft. Actual Pick – Ian Happ OF CHC (Actual Taillon Rd 1 #13 to Pittsburgh)

21.  Coconut Creek Crushers – Michael Kopech P BOS – Kopech is probably a fantastic value here at 21. Just had to make sure you had a spot for him to begin his career and let his injuries settle. When this thing is all said and done, the flame thrower could easily be a top 10 guy from this draft, but I can’t justify much higher of a spot until he can stay healthy and string together a couple of full seasons as a good starter. Love the potential for the strike-out master as he is still 27 years old. Actual Pick – James Kaprielian P NYY (Actual Kopech Rd 4 #99 to Triple Creek)

22.  Yonge Street Stalkers (Via Bethesda) Max Kepler OF MIN – Maybe I was being a bit hard on Kepler for being redrafted 22nd overall. His numbers are fun to look at. Always has a good BB/K ratio, and can hit with power. I had the run on pitchers, so Kepler had to wait. Scott took a shot with Puk out of college. We could have been looking at the next Chris Sale, but that did not happen. Actual Pick – A.J. Puk P CLG (Actual Kepler R1 #5 to Fremont)

23.  Long Beach Dirt Bags -Danny Jansen C TOR – Jansen has a great D card every year, and by catcher standards, he is a nice power hitter. TOR has had such a log jam at C, but Jansen is getting more reps now. I believe Bill wins the highest pick award for the 2016 redraft with 282 overall!  Peter did just fine selecting Bregman here but has been known to make a trade or two. In dealing Bregman Peter was able to net a package involving Chris Sale. Some deals just don’t pan out as well as others.  Actual Pick – Alex Bregman 3B HOU (Actual Jansen Rd 11 282 to Columbus)

24.  Tijuana Bottle Rockets – Adam Duvall 1B CIN – Duvall had 3 seasons with 30+ HR. Add an All-Star appearance and a Gold Glove in both the MLB and MWBL. In 2023 he is currently sporting an OPS over .925. Coconut Creek represents in this draft yet again. Actual Pick- Ian Happ OF CHC (Actual Duvall Rd 4 #107 to Coconut Creek)

25.  Corktown Cycle (Via Clovis) Austin Meadows OF PIT – I’m going to roll the dice here with Meadows. It could end up being a great redraft value at 25 overall. Meadows is dealing with some personal issues and we hope he gets better in that respect. But, when he was playing, he sure could hit a baseball. He is still only 28 and has 33 and 27 HR seasons already. Actual Pick – Jorge Lopez P MIL (Actual Meadows Rd 1 #8 to Southbend)

26.  Chicago Mobsters- Michael Fulmer P DET – The former rookie of the year had 2 solid seasons as a starter before his Tommy John. His return hasn’t been a complete waste. 2 Good seasons as a late-inning reliever. Maybe, he can string some more together late in his career. Actual Pick- Dillon Tate P TEX (Actual Fulmer Rd 2 #38 to Mesa)

27.  Hollywood Werewolves (Via Tempe) -Victor Robles OF WAS – Defense and potential win the battle for final pick here. He is still 26 and the man can run. Maybe with the new MLB rules, we can see Robles Stolen base numbers jump a bit in the next few years. He did peak one season with 17 HR. If we can get 15 a year, nobody would complain. Actual Pick – Jack Flaherty P STL (Actual Robles Rd 2 #29 to Dallas)

28.  Coconut Creek Crushers (Via Tempe) – Jeimer Candelario 3B CHC- Don’t expect many great seasons out of Candelario, but he has had seasons of hitting for average at a position with a little pop that can give us the occasional bump to 4 vs the avg 3 on D. He is still 29 and an everyday guy at 3B. We like that here at redraft central. The Candy Man has a lot of value in this draft going in the 8th round! Actual Pick Cody Reed P CIN- (Actual Candelario Rd 8 #208 to Motor City)